How to Condition Yourself to Sleep on Transport

The theme of Day 4 in the Boots'N'All challenge is "Overland Travel". It encouraged us to share our best overland travel story. And although I've had my fair share of overland travel (vans, buses, ferries, tuk tuks, cars etc), the stories aren't too epic as I have been asleep for most of the journey! I'm one of the lucky ones that through my travels have been conditioned to fall asleep as soon as I begin on a long journey. And yes, it may mean that I may miss the occasional view or sight, but most of the time I am lucky enough to have thoughtful travel companions to wake me so that I can marvel on any passing wonders, such as crossing into a new country or (as was the case in Turkey) a field of sunflowers.

So, I'm going to share my breakdown of how I conditioned myself to fall asleep on long distance transport (obviously this is a guide made jest and not based in science):

- Being a child that was prone to motion sickness, I developed a fear of getting sick on long distance transport. Because of this fear, I think the extreme sleepiness I was faced with upon settling into my seat acted as a defence mechanism. If I'm asleep, I can't get sick.
- This fear also meant that I now pop a pill to prevent motion sickness 30 mins before any long trip. Now, I don't know if these pills actually cause drowsiness but the placebo effect works a treat!
- I ensure that I wear plenty of layers. They keep me warm in overly air conditioned buses or vans. And they are easily removed if it gets too hot.
- I have the same routine when I get on long distance transport. Do a quick scan/exploration of the area (e.g. Check out what entertainment is available. Like it matters, I'll be snoozing soon anyway.), pop in my earphones, and close my eyes (eye mask for overnight travel) and wait for sleep. Repeat this process every long trip and hopefully your body gets the idea!